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Alumni Spotlight - Jerry DesJarlais (CE 57)

Alumnus hopes to provide relief to music students

Attending a school like South Dakota Mines is no easy feat, especially when finances stand in the way. But Mines students are nothing if not tenacious, hard-working, and believe where there’s a will, there’s a way to an education. So when Jerry DesJarlais (CE 57) needed to find a way to get through school, he did, and now he works to help guarantee that finances don’t stand in the way of other students achieving their dreams.

Jerry started at South Dakota Mines in 1953 with only $900 in his pocket. He quickly got involved in the music program on campus and was able to put himself through school by playing his trombone and working 40 hours a week.

“I started with nothing,” Jerry said. “I had to work every hour. If I didn’t work, I didn’t pay tuition. I made my way, all the way, from the sixth grade all the way up.”

Jerry was the first one in his family to graduate from college, instilling a sense of pride in him and his family.

“They didn’t think I was going to make it through the Mines,” he recalled. “They looked at the place with awe, and so did I. And I climbed the mountain.”

Jerry played trombone and sang with The Singing Engineers during his time on campus, making his time with the music program some of the best times that he had.

“Frankly, the four years at Mines were some of the most miserable years of my life, but it was also the most valuable. Music was my best times.”

Because of the impact that music had on his life and his education, Jerry felt driven to help those who have followed in his footsteps. He recently began sponsoring full tuition scholarships to students in the music program to help them get to the finish line of school. He remembers how arduous his studies were and hopes to allow students the chance to focus on their studies and having fun, rather than on how they’re going to afford their schooling.

“These kids, explaining what they’ve done so far to get to this point, hearing their stories, it is inspiring,” said Haley Armstrong, music director and coordinator of music activities. “For a lot of these students, it’s so hard, but they can come back to music and be challenged and have fun.”

The first recipient of one of Jerry’s scholarships came at a crucial time in this young woman’s journey. Haley explained that this young woman was having a difficult time finding a major that she really connected with, finally finding the one that she is currently finishing. However, finances got in the way and she was close to not being able to finish, until Jerry stepped up to help, paying her final semester of tuition. Three more students will be impacted this fall with their entire tuition bill being supported by Jerry.

“The amount of impact that this has had is incredible,” Haley said.

Jerry also recently donated his old trombone to the school for the students to use. The trombone is currently in the hands of the pep band, but according to Haley will be donated to a student to use who may not have access to an instrument but wants to keep playing.

While Jerry’s degree is in Civil Engineering, he said that if he could go back and do it all again, his real love has become physics. He has enjoyed life immensely during his retirement, reading up on particle physics in his spare time.